Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Ferozepur in Punjab today to lay foundation stones of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 42,750 crore. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, these projects include Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway; four laning of Amritsar – Una section; Mukerian – Talwara New Broad Gauge railway line; PGI Satellite Centre at Ferozepur and two new medical colleges at Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur.
The consistent endeavour of the Prime Minister to improve connectivity all across the country has led to multiple national highway development initiatives being taken up in the state of Punjab. It has resulted in more than doubling the total length of National Highways in the state from about 1700 kilometres in 2014 to more than 4100 kilometres in 2021, said the PMO.
In continuation of such efforts, the foundation stone of two major road corridors will be laid in Punjab. This will also be a step towards fulfilling the Prime Minister’s vision to enhance accessibility to major religious centres.
The 669-kilometre long Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway will be developed at a total cost of about Rs 39,500 crore. It will halve travel time from Delhi to Amritsar and Delhi to Katra.
The expressway will also connect key economic centres like Ambala Chandigarh, Mohali, Sangrur, Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Kathua and Samba in the three states/UTs of Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
The four-laning of the Amritsar – Una section will be done at the cost of around 1700 crore. The 77-kilometre long section is part of the larger Amritsar to Bhota corridor.
It will help in improving the connectivity of religious sites at Ghoman, Shri Hargobindpur and Pulpukta Town (home to the famous Gurudwara Pulpukta Sahib).
The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of a new Broad Gauge railway line between Mukerian and Talwara of around 27 Km in length, to be built at a cost of over Rs 410 crore. The railway line will be an extension of the Nangal Dam-Daulatpur Chowk railway section.
The project will prove especially beneficial for the people of Hoshiarpur in Punjab and Una in Himachal Pradesh.
In line with the Prime Minister’s endeavour to provide world-class medical facilities in all parts of the country, the foundation stone of new medical infrastructure in three towns of Punjab will be laid. The 100 Bedded PGI Satellite Centre at Ferozepur, will be built at a cost of more than Rs 490 crore.
Two Medical colleges at Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur will be developed at a cost of around Rs 325 crore each
and with a capacity of about 100 seats.